Wallace Theodore "Ted" Strand

Our dad, Wallace Theodore 'Ted' Strand, Jr, a 59-year resident of Wilton, passed away on November 10, 2023 due to complications from pneumonia. The eldest son of Neva Marie and W. T. 'Wally' Strand, Sr, Ted was born on July 20, 1936, in Los Angeles.  He was raised in Long Beach, CA, Marion, IA, and Gold Hill, OR before settling in Sacramento in 1953.

After graduating from C.K. McClatchy High School in 1954, Dad worked at Panama Pottery, Capital Nursery and DMV in Sacramento before starting his 38-year career with Procter & Gamble out on Fruitridge Road.  He worked alongside our grandpa Wally in both the Duncan Hines cake mix part of the plant and also the lab, before becoming a machinist/mechanic in the plant's tower. 

Along the way, he met our mom and they had to get married because, as he put it, their horses were living together.

The four of us came along between 1963 and 1969, adding more noise to the farm he was busy building from the dirt up on Apple Road.  Speaking of which: he could build or fix almost anything.  Television's 'Tim the Toolman' had nothing on our dad, who was quite handy with just about any power tool or situation that required intelligence, resourcefulness, or grit. 

Our dad had a great (albeit sometimes very dry) sense of humor, and was known far and wide as the driver of a very slow-moving VW Bug.  He enjoyed Blues music, antiques, science, history, genealogy, and sneaking extra chocolate chip cookies baked by our mom.  He was extremely skilled at clock and watch repair.  In the late 50's through the 60's, before the Sacramento portion of the I-5 freeway was completed, he spent many hours digging for bottles in the Old Sac/K Street area with friends, and eluding the law to sneak into Sacramento's underground catacombs to look for treasure.  In later years, after becoming more of a law-abiding man, he rarely passed a garage sale without stopping.

Our dad was a great son, brother, husband, father, grandpa, uncle, friend, and neighbor.  He was a member of the Sloughhouse Volunteer Fire Department for a couple years, and believed in honesty, integrity, and helping others.  His handshake was his word.

He leaves behind our mom, Marlene, his wife of 62 years; children Christina Strand Wagner, Ted Strand III (Jennifer), and Michelle (Jeff) Radford. He also leaves his brother Bob (Kristen) Strand, brother-in-law Stan Scharosch (Mary); grandchildren Shelby, Casey, Alex, Kiersten and Jacob; and numerous nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by our Grandpa Wally, our Grandma Marie, and our brother Carl.

We are grateful to the wonderful doctors and nurses at Sutter Hospital in Sacramento who tried so valiantly to save our dad's life.

The funeral will be held Friday, December 1 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, located at 8701 Elk Grove-Florin Road in Elk Grove.  Visitation will be from 9:00am to 10:00am, followed by the funeral service at 10:00am.  Interment will be at East Lawn Cemetery, located at 4300 Folsom Blvd in Sacramento, with a luncheon reception immediately following.  In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Sacramento Shriners Hospital for Children, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, two of our dad’s favorite charities.